1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicles and implements for cleaning asphalt or concrete or other like pavement, and particularly, to an implement for removing cleaning solutions from pavement during a pavement scrubbing process, which implement is typically towed behind a towing vehicle.
2. Prior Art
Independently-motored street sweepers are well-known. Likewise, various plows and sweepers mountable forward of a drive vehicle are known as are sweeper attachments mounted rearward of a drive vehicle. These sweepers comprise long bristle brushes adjusted to slightly contact a street surface so as to minimize brush wear yet still impel street litter into a collection mechanism. In a prior patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,396) this applicant describes a rotating brush tractor implement removably towable behind a tractor that has substantially nonpliable brush bristles sufficient to scrub a street or runway surface to remove materials adhering to pavement, typically of asphalt or concrete, such as tire rubber as opposed to only materials generally loose on the surface.
In the scrubbing process it is common to employ a cleaning solution, including sudsy water, to help release grease, oil, rubber deposit and grime from pavement, acting in concert with the rotating scrubber brushes. However, after the scrubbing process, the solvent and a portion of the loosened or released grease, oil, rubber deposit and grime remains on the pavement. It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a towable implement that washes, or rinses the solvent from the pavement with fresh water and removes the solvent, rinse water and remaining grease, oil and grime from the pavement into a container transported away on the tow vehicle.